We want to engage all members of the community in studying and managing the natural, agricultural, and public lands around Boulder County.
We develop projects to investigate and analyze the relationship between public lands and community health and well-being.
We are a collaboration between faculty, students, agencies, and residents, to design the future of natural and developed landscapes in the front range.
Public lands are an integral part of strong, sustainable communities. But we don’t always know how to manage those lands to meet everyone’s needs. The CLSC is a collaboration between faculty, students, organizations, agencies, and committed residents in and around Boulder County, to engage in conversations about the future of our landscapes and communities.
Throughout the year, we host workshops and activities that bring science and community together to tackle important environmental challenges affecting the Boulder region. Our goals are to increase scientific understanding of important management issues, like forest fire and climate change, and to provide a space for constructive dialogue, where we work together to understand and design plans for action in our community.
Parent of an ENVS undergraduate student
John Tayer
CEO, Boulder Chamber of Commerce
Patty LimerickDirector, Center of the American West
In 1967, Boulder, Colorado became the first municipality in the US to approve a local sales tax increase to fund an open space system. Boulder County followed suit in 1973. This model has since been replicated in hundreds of cities and counties throughout the US, but it was all started right here, in the front range.
At the CSLC, we develop research, education, and engagement projects to address the long-term sustainability needs of our natural lands and human communities.
These needs include the conservation and restoration of native ecosystems, access to nature and outdoor recreation, and the requirements for a viable agricultural economy that can support and be supported by local communities. Learn more about our work ⟶
Our mission is to engage ALL members of the front range community in the science, policy, and management of our public-land ecosystems. We want to co-create knowledge, foster productive and inclusive conversations, and design landscapes that maintain viable natural, agricultural, and human spaces throughout Colorado and the west.
